Indiana lawmakers, guests prepare for State of the Union

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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is expected to call for optimism and unity in his State of the Union address, but skeptics are likely to question whether he can be successful in pursuing such a reset after two years of bitter partisanship and personal attacks.

Tyler Trent’s parents will attend Tuesday night’s speech as guests of Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.). They also met with Vice President Pence Tuesday afternoon at the White House. Tyler’s courageous battle with terminal cancer inspired Indiana and the nation.

“We felt it would be great to continue Tyler’s legacy and thought that Tyler’s life represented what it means to be a Hoosier and what it means to be an American when we have the courage to face obstacles that were just beyond the ability for a 20-year-old to face,” Tony Trent said in an interview Tuesday morning. “Tyler represents what it means to have courage and tenacity, and so we just wanted to go to be part of it.”

But in a recent Washington Post op-ed, former Indiana governor and Purdue University president Mitch Daniels called the State of the Union “tasteless” arguing it must go.

“In fact, I’m sorry to say, I think it’s now counterproductive,” Daniels said in an interview. “It’s more of a spectacle more likely to foster cynicism rather than citizenship.”